Madagascar: let me tell you three things

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On our recent RMS Companion Synod journey to Madagascar, each one of the twenty participants was encouraged to think about how he or she would answer those who would invariably ask, “So, how was your trip?” Knowing how challenging it can be to summarize something as transformational as a visit to a companion church halfway around the world, everyone was invited to think about three specific things they could share in a brief way with those who asked. Below are three of my key learnings.

1.  I gained additional insight into what it means for us to be church today

Visiting the Malagasy Lutheran Church is like holding up a church mirror: you get to see new things about yourself. One of the things I learned on this trip is the extent to which we in the ELCA must continue to move out of an institutional church model as we seek to be faithful to our calling to the gospel in the North American context. 

We are used to measuring our vitality in much the same ways as our Malagasy colleagues:
  • How many members do we have?  How many people are worshipping?  Are we growing?
  • Do we have all the expected congregational groups and programs:  Sunday School, youth ministry, Women’s Ministry, choir, etc?
  • Is our church building adequate enough to accommodate our activities?

I am convinced that we in ELCA must ask ourselves questions of vitality like these:
  • What is the depth of our spiritual and communal life?  Is there a place for everyone among us?
  • Are we living from a theological center informed by God’s radical grace?  Is that center embodied in the ways we worship, learn, witness and serve?
  • What is our engagement with our local community and with our world?

2. Our youth and young adults are central to our companion relationship

Amid our many commitments with our Malagasy colleagues, we must place a priority on fostering meaningful connectivity between our respective youth and young adults. The high level of youth participation on this trip was extremely significant given the very high percentage of youth in the Malagasy Lutheran Church. To the extent that the young leaders from each of our churches are engaged with one another and are given the chance to set the agenda, not only does our mutual understanding grow in new ways, but the path our relationship takes is shaped in life-giving ways.

3. Personal integration is a lifelong exercise

Every time I go to Madagascar, it’s both a fresh experience and an opportunity to integrate two distinct parts of my identity. This trip helped me realize that my role as a bishop in the ELCA will always be connected to the variety of roles I have played within the Malagasy Lutheran Church. My understanding of mission, church, spiritual life, and community have all been deeply informed by my time in Madagascar—and my life in the RMS determines how I engage our ongoing relationship with our brothers and sisters in Madagascar. I’m not always sure how to integrate these two realities, these two ways of being in the world. But that I must be attentive to that task—for the sake of my personal and professional life—is one of my takeaways from this journey.

Feel free to ask me more.  Better yet, ask one of our other trip participants about their three learnings.  You’ll be glad you did!

Yours in Faith,
Bishop Jim Gonia

photo: Bishop Gonia and President Jean de Dieu Razafimahatratra of the Avaratra Atsinanana Synod.

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